Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-04-22


long, and asked so many question
about doves in general. and whi
doves in particular, that h:r father
last said:
why. child, thy head i turned l
the picture of the white dove. Tho
shouIdst have real dow for thy ser
own, if we had but a little spot in tt
green country where could make the
a bird house among the trees, and tho
shouldst love and pet thy treasure
thy hearts content
This opened the theme of the fam
~ hope To get into the country an
till little piece of ground was Johan
earthly ambfion, and to this the pal
mother locked forward as eagerly a
did the play loving little ones and tn
nature loving Cecile For this al
were toiling aud saving; but, alas th
little fund grew so slowly, for the win
ters supply of coal made it impossibl
to save anything during that season
and meantime the little faces gre,
more pale and piuche1 looking ever
dav
The suggestion of the bird hous
was too beautiful to be readily giyer
up. aud for an hour the patient, hare
working father and mother wed will
the children i'll e1travagant castle
building.
"But 1t will naver be. SAID johann
at last The great city will swallow
us up. and We shall toll on here all q
our days"
No. no, father" cried Cec'e eager
IL. "Some day W. shall spread our
wings and fy; the white dove tells ms
so''
The white dove again :" said thu
mother. Always the white dove. &c
to thy sleep. dear child, ani be thy
dreams As pure AMI white as thy gen.
tie dove"
Easter morning came, radiant will
the glory Of early spring c ci'e and
eeriathe- set ont promptly. that they
might find dark corner ~ the grand
church. where they might not at
tract attention. They hal to wait a
long time, but when the music began
thew felt that they were we'll repaid
Little Cecile had Inherited her father $
love Of music, as we'll "a his strong,
rich voice. and todsg when the dear
old E4sisr hymn psied out she could
no. restrain the impulse tes.1a Ali
ssrs. 'r'S:r sssin. :hs sde dfsqe ss sloe s5ai. as
il 4 ened, with no more thought of
the curious eyes tixel upon her than
\ bir,i has. Il was like Heaven TO the
beauty loslng child. the warm, sweet
atmosphere Of the flower decked tenn.
pie, the heavenly music thrilling every
nerve Of her being. aud the beautiful
happy looking people she 50" all a
bout her.
She came back sgain to the earth
as the music ceased, and, with a half
frightened glance around, se'zti her
fathers hand and held it fast as they
found their way out of the crowded
church.
oh, wasn't it lovely? You See,
father. dear, that the s7gels DO sing for
poor folks, don't YOU - tpciI"s { rs
we're shiGing ana her heart throbblns
" tn u great JOY.
They were passing a stately man
sion. and Just inside the paIIngs tec'-
lie caught a glimpse Of something that
seemed Ia take her breath away. Oh.
papa. papa, Stop. The white dove
Il ls there, all wounded aud bleeding.
she cried; and before he could stop
her. she had dart d in,l e the great
gates. aud was bending with sweetest
compassion over the poor wounded
dove that lay upon the ground.
NAV take it, father" she cried,
"and have IL for nv own and bring It
back to life again: On, who could
have been so cruel as to hurt II gentle
little white dove And she held il
close to her brr,s'. and stroked il
pitlfuIiy, while tears fell from T. er soft
eyes.
She hal rel ,inrd her father on the
street, and neither s.w ioScl Y la "
" no E!ad stopped to listen.
1T is. Herbert, it is the child who
sang in the church - she cried exclt.
edIy. 'no you See, her eyes and hail
aud voice are all those of our Mabel !:
Calm yourself. Helen, said the gen
tleman. will learn where the chllt
lives, aud you may find her there an
other day.
HIS wife was sobbiny and as h,
took Johann's address h" explaine,
briefly that CeciIe was srlkingly lik
their own little girl who had gone t.
he, on tn last + .ster day.
/ Bat Cecile could only think Of IT,.
white dove, rs she carried it home. =
| 1t seemed so wonderful to her that i
should have come to her on Easte
day. 1T is promise of good, NUT
terchen." she said over and over again
And it was. The white dove gre,
we'll and strong again, nursed by ten
der hands The lovely lady came. .an'
told how the sweet voice singing hig
and clear the + ,s,er carol hal br 'ugh
back the image Of her own Mabel an
when she turned to look in the sof
tender eyes and sensitive mouth sh
seemed to see her own darling AGAR
rhen she told how she had lost tn
little singer in getting out of tn
: crowded church, and found her agai
mourning over the wounded dove
''It is COTS voice to me-" she sal,
"Christ is risen, indeed, in the perso
of one of His little onts 3, and the 10,
, and care which once | lavished upo
what iancied mine must now be give
to his"
) Aud so it has been and is. Johan
+ is in his earthly paradise. The bit
ground so longed for is his own no,
and roses bloom on his children
e cheeks, and on the cottage porch.
l The bird house has "a place in the b